GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was “reasonably confident†that West African countries neighboring those hardest hit by the current Ebola epidemic are not seeing transmission of the virus across their borders.
Asked whether countries such as Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast might have cases of the disease crossing their borders without knowing about or reporting them, WHO assistant director general Keiji Fukuda said he considered that unlikely.
“We are reasonably confident right now we are not seeing widespread transmission into neighboring countries,†Fukuda told reporters in a briefing. “It remains a concern…(but) right now I think we are not seeing it.â€
“We will keep looking for further spread of infection, but we simply haven’t seen it,†he added.
Fukuda also said it remained very difficult to get sufficient numbers of health workers – both national and international – to help tackle the epidemic, which has killed at least 4,877 people so far this year.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Kate Kelland; Editing by Hugh Lawson)